Published by HarperAlley

Summary:  When Pips meets Arlo, the crow immediately sets out to impress the smaller bird with his many abilities: he can count, he has a big brain, and he can do imitations.  He’s new to the city, and Pips offers to show him around.  As they explore, Arlo continues to share the amazing things he (and all crows) can do.  His love of shiny objects leads the two birds on a trip to the beach, where Arlo demonstrates his ability to outwit the seagulls they meet there.  The two birds part ways at the end, with Arlo wondering, “Who am I going to brag to now?”  Guess we’ll find out in book 2, advertised on the final page, but not yet listed on Amazon.  64 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Marketed to fans of Narwhal and Jelly (Ben Clanton raves, “This book will fly off the shelves!” on the front cover), this new series will be popular with younger graphic novel fans.  Arlo’s bragging is funny, and there’s quite a bit of information about crows woven into the text.

Cons:  I found Arlo kind of obnoxious, and Pips a bit nondescript, neither quite matching the charm of Narwhal and Jelly.

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